What Now
by Scription Addict
Summary: How I wanted the last episode to end, Boyd and Grace, please read and review


What Now

One shot, follow on from the end of Waterloo, what I would have liked to see happen in my crazy little mind, enjoy and please review.

Detective Superintendent Boyd made his was hurriedly out of the large storage warehouse that he had been driven to, holding on desperately to his phone in his pocket, he flinched only slightly as he heard the gunshot behind him, continuing his pace a little quicker at that sound. The streets of London seemed busier than ever tonight, all manner of people continuously stepping into his path, slowing his journey, each road he needed to cross seemed to have a steady flow of cars, again, slowing his pace, all he wanted to do was get to them, to ensure there safety, the street lights had come on making him realise how long he'd been walking, it was daylight at the start of his journey, he had no idea of the time, not daring to stop long enough to glance at his watch, his breathing still rapid, in the distance he could see the bridge, in his mind he repeated the words, please let them be there, let them be safe, the sight of Sarah's body still flashing into his thoughts constantly, unable to bare the thought of losing another member of his team, even though they were no longer a team, just a group of former colleagues, it didn't mean he cared any less, they were like family, the only family he had, and he wasn't prepared to lose another member of his family, put simply, it just hurt too bloody much. The closer he got to Waterloo bridge the easier he felt, as he approached the steps he could see them, all three of them, they were there, they were safe, it was all he needed to know, he never thought any sight would be as good as the one he was seeing now, he had no idea how far Nicholson's corruption reached, whether he could have someone get to them, he let out a breath, it felt like he hadn't breathed since he had left that warehouse, he walked up the steps just as Grace turned to see him, she looked as relieved to see him as he was at the sight of them, as he approached them he didn't speak, he just threw his arms around Grace and held onto her tightly, feeling her holding onto him with equal force, eventually finding his voice.

"God you're a sight for sore eyes" he pulled back from Grace, and extended his hand to Spence, "You did good Spence" and then shook Eve's hand also, "You all Ok" they responded with nods and words, he removed his phone from his pocket and played the recording of Nicholson telling him that Sarah hadn't suffered, it was relief tinged with sadness as they remembered Sarah was not with them, not now, not ever, killed trying to put right the wrong she had done, trying in a vain hope to prove to Boyd that she had made an error of judgement, that the psychological scars she carried with her had caused her to panic at the thought of Grace being harmed, harmed because he couldn't follow procedure, because he was too rash, his decisions made without the proper attention to detail that it needed, it wasn't for herself she had been afraid, but for her colleagues, the sight of a friend blown up because of another man's carelessness never far from the back of her mind, the fear of what was around every corner with her always, Sarah Cavendish died trying to put right that wrong, and they all new that.

"Will it be enough, to prove you're innocence" Eve asked, none of them had ever needed to ask if he was innocent, that went without saying, a man who couldn't kill the woman who took a picture of his dying son, in order to save the life of his closest friend, wasn't capable of killing anyone, let alone another police officer, they also knew the man that was Peter Boyd well enough to know that he wasn't a murderer, he did this job because he cared too much, he wanted to give people the thing he sought, closure, no Peter Boyd wasn't a murderer.

"I hope so" he replied, not sure what else to say.

"So what now" Spence asked "I mean what are you gonna do?"

He shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath "I don't know" he rested his hand on Grace's shoulder, "The only thing I know for sure at this moment in time, is that whatever I do" he paused and stared deeply into Grace's eyes, "I want to do it with you!"

Eve and Spence looked on in silence, a little stunned "Maybe we should leave you two to it?" he said looking at Eve and signalling with his head that they should leave, truth be told he felt a little awkward watching them during what seemed like a private moment.

"Umm, yeah, we'll go and get the drinks in" she nodded towards a wine bar that overlooked the river, and ushered Spence along

Grace remained in silence, so taken aback by what he had just said, that she didn't know what to say, or even if she should say anything, she and Peter had always been friends, close friends, best friends some might say, but she never had any inclination that he felt anything for her than friendship and professionalism, that wasn't to say it wasn't what she wanted, or that she hadn't thought of lying in his arms after a night of passion.

"Are you going to sat anything" he moved and lent against the barrier facing the water, he was looking towards the water and Grace had her back to it.

"Umm, I don't really know what to say."

"In a good way or a bad way?" he said using his hand as mock indicator as if trying to gauge her response.

"I'm in shock!"

"Are you saying no?"

"I'm saying I'm in shock, I'm not even sure I know what you're asking me."

"I'm asking you to spend the rest of your life with me, to share with me whatever the future holds, be it good or bad."

"As a friend?" she asked, knowing full well that wasn't what he meant but needing to be sure all the same.

"No Grace, not as a friend."

"Then what?" she asked impatiently

"As my lover, my partner, and eventually, hopefully, my wife."

"Peter where is all this coming from, we've never been that way with each other."

"No we haven't, but that doesn't mean I never wanted to, I just never had the balls to do anything about it."

"What and now you've _grown a pair_, as they say" she used her fingers to punctuate the modern day quote she'd used.

"Maybe, or maybe I've realised that it's now or never, I don't want to wake up everyday for the rest of my life and wonder what you're doing, I want to know, and I want to know because you're lying in bed next to me, still tired because we spent last night making love, looking beautiful, because you are beautiful Grace."

"Or maybe you just don't want to wake up alone, you have no family and you're scared of being alone, so you want to reach out to the closest thing to hand, something that will keep your bed warm until something better crosses your path."

"How could you ever think that I would treat you like that. You know what in some ways you're right, I don't have any family, I had one son, one beautiful, happy, healthy son, who loved to play football and wanted nothing more than me to be proud of him, to approve of him, but I couldn't keep him that way, he turned into every parents worst nightmare, and instead of reaching out to pull him closer, I reached out and pushed him away, and I'll never know whether he cried out for help before he died, never know whether he called for his Mum or Dad before he slipped into the oblivion caused by the shit that he chose to pump into his body. Neither of my ex wives would give me a glowing reference, I'm an inconsiderate bastard, I shout too much, I always think I'm right, even when I know I'm wrong, I'll never have grandchildren, and I can't imagine for one minute that I'm gonna be content watching the grass grow long enough for me to mow it again, or sitting on a river bank waiting for a bloody fish to take the bait on the end of a stick, but by far the worse thing about the prospect of having nothing to get up for each morning, is not seeing you. The other day when we sat in the bullpen discussing the case, you said you'd miss it, and it made me realise how much I was going to miss you, not the job, or the team or the force, you." he turned to face her side, and whispered the next words into her ear, "I want you Grace, in my life, in my world, and in my bed"

"That's quite a speech" she replied as she turned to face him "and does love feature any where in this arrangement?"

"If you don't know by now how much I love you then you need to re train, because you have lost the ability to read people."

"Maybe I just need to hear it."

Peter leant forward and captured Grace's lips in a searing kiss, a gentle peck to start with, immediately followed by a powerful kiss, sliding his tongue over her lips and feeling it clash with her own, he pulled back just long enough to say the words she wanted to hear "I love you Grace"

"And I have always loved you Peter Boyd"

"Shall we go and find Eve and Spence cos I could really do with a large bloody drink" Grace nodded in agreement, he held out his hand and Grace took it willingly, there fingers sliding together as if they had been made that way.


End file.
